By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer
MONROE, La. (LBM) – Though a winter storm may have prevented some churches from meeting in person Jan. 25, they still pressed forward with online services while others became the hands and feet of Jesus in their communities.
Steven Kelly, association mission strategist with Morehouse and Northeast Louisiana Baptist associations, said he is not aware of any of the 71 churches in his two associations who were able to meet Sunday.
“Basically, COVID prepared us for today,” Kelly said. “Most churches learned how to adapt when they couldn’t meet them and they just fell back to what they did in 2020. Some recorded a modified service earlier in the week, just in case they needed it. A number of others sought to do it live today.
“The problem with going live today was technical issues with Internet and power outages,” he continued. “Some that planned to do this were unable to. No pastor wanted to cancel but I am not aware of any church in our association that met in person. Ouachita Parish was hit hard with significant power outages and trees down. I have never seen an ice storm like this in my lifetime and we served as church planters in Iowa for three winters.”
Glenn Harrigill, pastor with Riverside Baptist Church, Vidalia, took to Facebook to deliver his message. Broadcasting from his living room with his wife, Penny, daughter, Amber Nugent, her husband Tres, three of his grandchildren, Hudson, Harper, and Hebrew, and church members Roy and David Bishop, Harrigill shared about hope found amid challenges circumstances.
“We all face difficult times in our life,” Harrigill said, basing his message on Isaiah 43:1-7. “Our hope is found in a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.
“In these verses He tells us the He created us, He formed us, He redeemed us, He has called us by name and the we are His,” he continued. “What a comfort and encouragement to know that He knows me by name, I’m precious in His sight, He loves me, and will never leave me nor forsake me.”
First Baptist Church, Wisner, moved its Sunday worship service to Jan. 23. Pastor Garrison Griffith said because of the uncertainty with the forecast, church staff members and ministry team leaders believed changing the date was the best option.
“We were guided in worship by Psalm 27, which reminded us that the best place to go when we face uncertainty is into the presence of the Lord,” Griffith said. “We had a good crowd, including several visitors, and there was a real sweetness to being together.
“We were able to encourage one another, and our message from Acts 13 pointed us to the blessings of salvation.,” he continued. “We went into the uncertainty of the storm certain of the goodness of God and the blessing of community. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is simply make sure we’re together in the presence of the Lord when the unknown is ahead of us.”
For his part, Daniel Binkley spent his Sunday morning helping others in the community, including fellow pastor Joey Smith.
Binkley, who became pastor with Columbia Heights Baptist Church, Columbia, on Jan. 1, was driving around the area when he encountered Smith, who needed helped removing and cutting up a large limb that covered his driveway.
“The Binkleys have been faithfully loving and serving Caldwell Parish for years, so I wasn’t surprised to see them pull up with a chainsaw this morning,” said Smith, pastor with Grayson Baptist Church. “Daniel has been a good friend to me and I’m thankful he’s now pastoring right down the road.”
Evangelist Kyle Williams was unable to preach as planned at multiple churches and an outreach at the St. Mary Parish Jail in Centerville on Sunday, but two days earlier saw four individuals turn to Jesus at a funeral, where he shared the Gospel. He also is the main speaker at a men’s wild game supper, Jan. 31, 6 p.m., at First Baptist Church, Haynesville and a revival, Feb. 1-4, 6 p.m., at FBC Haynesville.
Williams was excited that God moved even amid the changes in his schedule.
“The family was praying for a move of God,” he said. “For God to continue using Eli to point others to Christ.”
